Rudbeckia plant named ‘Pot Of Gold’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Rudbeckia plant named ‘Pot of Gold’, characterized by its compact, uniform and mounded plant habit; freely branching and vigorous; large leaves; large inflorescences with intense golden yellow ray florets and dark brown disc florets; and good garden performance and very good resistance to drought conditions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofRudbeckia plant, botanically known as Rudbeckia fulgida var. Sullivantiiand referred to by the cultivar name Pot of Gold.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada. The objective of thebreeding program was to create new compact Rudbeckia cultivars withuniform plant habit, large inflorescences and intense ray floret color.

The new cultivar originated from a self-pollination made by the Inventorof the Rudbeckia fulgida var. Sullivantii cultivar Goldstrum, notpatented. The new Rudbeckia was selected by the Inventor as a floweringplant within the progeny of this cross in a controlled environment inBoisbriand, Quebec, Canada, in the 1990.

Plants of the new cultivar are different from plants of the parent, thecultivar Goldstrum, in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Rudbeckia are more compact than plants of thecultivar Goldstrum.

2. Plants of the new Rudbeckia are more uniform in plant habit andheight than plants of the cultivar Goldstrum.

3. Plants of the new Rudbeckia have larger inflorescences than plants ofthe cultivar Goldstrum.

4. Ray floret color of the new Rudbeckia is much more intense than rayfloret color of the cultivar Goldstrum.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by crown divisions and byterminal cuttings at Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada, has shown that theunique features of this new Rudbeckia are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Pot of Gold’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Pot of Gold’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Compact, uniform and mounded plant habit.

2. Freely branching and vigorous.

3. Large leaves.

4. Large inflorescences with intense golden yellow ray florets and darkbrown disc florets.

5. Good garden performance and very good resistance to droughtconditions.

The cultivar Pot of Gold has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a top perspective view oftypical rows of flowering plants of ‘Pot of Gold’.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a top perspective view oftypical plants of ‘Pot of Gold’.

The photograph on the third page comprises a close-up view of typicalinflorescences of ‘Pot of Gold’. Foliage and floret colors in thephotographs may appear different from the actual colors due to lightreflectance.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations, measurements and values describe plants ofthe new cultivar grown in ground beds north of Montreal, Quebec, Canada,under outdoor, full-sun conditions.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance areused.

Botanical classification: Rudbeckia fulgida var. Sullivantii cultivarPot of Gold.

Parentage: Self-pollination of Rudbeckia fulgida var. Sullivantiicultivar Goldstrum, not patented.

Propagation:

Type.—By crown divisions or by terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots, April.—About 20 days at 18° C.

Time to develop roots, April.—About 40 days at 18° C.

Root description.—Fine.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Perennial herbaceous container and garden plant. Compact,erect and upright, bushy and mounded growth habit. Freely branching withabout four lateral branches from main stem.

Crop time.—From planting rooted cuttings, about 8 to 12 weeks arerequired to produce a finished plant. From planting a division, about 4to 6 weeks are required to produce a finished plant. Plants aretypically planted on 9-cm squares or in one-liter containers.

Growth rate.—Rapid.

Plant height.—About 60 cm.

Plant spread.—About 60 cm.

Lateral branch description.—Length: About 16.7 cm. Diameter: About 2.8mm. Internode length: About 3.8 mm. Texture: Slightly pubescent;six-sided, fluted stems. Color: 143B; at the end of the summer, stemsbecome covered with longitudinal burgundy red streaks.

Foliage description.—Leaves alternate, single; very durable. Length,fully expanded leaves, basal: About 13 cm. Width, fully expanded leaves,basal: About 7.5 cm. Shape: Elliptic to ovate. Apex: Acuminate to acute.Base: Basal leaves, obtuse to cuneate; upper leaves, cuneate toattenuate. Margin: Entire, serrate or crenate. Texture: Rough; slight tomoderate pubescence on both surfaces. Petioles: Basal leaves with longpetioles; petiole length less with distal leaves; uppermost leaves,bract-like. Color: Immature leaves, upper surface: Typically 136A, someleaves lighter than 139A and some darker than 137A. Immature leaves,lower surface: 147B. Mature leaves, upper surface: 139A. Mature leaves,lower surface: 137C. Venation, upper surface: 143C. Venation, lowersurface: 147C. Petiole: 147B.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Daisy-type composite inflorescence form. Disc and rayflorets arranged acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences displayedabove and beyond foliage; one inflorescence per lateral stem; pedunclesarising from leaf axils. Inflorescences last about 8 to 10 days. Rayflorets, self cleaning; disc florets, persistent.

Flowering response.—Plants flower continuously from July to October inQuebec, Canada.

Fragrance.—Faint, not very pleasant.

Quantity of inflorescences.—About 105 per plant.

Inflorescence buds.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 1.3 cm. Shape:Flattened sphere. Rate of opening: About 15 days. Color: Light green, inbetween 144A and 144B.

Inflorescence longevity.—About 9 days.

Inflorescense size.—Diameter: About 10 cm. Depth (height): About 1.3 to1.5 cm.

Ray florets.—Length: About 4 cm. Width: About 1 to 1.5 cm. Shape:Ligulate, elongated. Apex: Bifid, acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire.Aspect: Flat to recurved. Texture: Smooth, satiny. Number of ray floretsper inflorescence: About 14 in a single whorl. Color: When opening,upper surface: 17C. When opening, lower surface: No match to R.H.S.Colour Chart, close to a mixture of 149A and 12A. Fully opened, uppersurface: 17A; color does not fade. Fully opened, lower surface: Moredull than upper surface, close to 14A.

Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:Numerous, about 225 to 350. Length: About 3 to 6 mm. Width: About 1 mm.Color: Immature: 200A. Mature: 200A.

Phyllaries.—Length: About 3.2 cm. Diameter of whorl: About 1.5 cm.Shape: Linear. Apex: Pointed. Margin: Entire. Quantity and arrangement:About 16 per inflorescence; whorled, two rows. Texture: Stiff, prickly.Color: Outer surface: Apex, 139A; mid-section, between 141A and 141B;base, between 143B and 143C. Inside surface: Apex, 139A; mid-section,between 141B and 141C; base, between 143B and 143C.

Peduncle.—Length: Terminal peduncle: About 20 cm. Fourth peduncle: About10 cm. Aspect: Rigid, straight, strong; inflorescences held abovefoliage. Texture: Rugose. Color: 143B.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Stamens:Four or five; fused. Anther length: About 3.5 mm. Anther color: Deepmaroon. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 23A. Gynoecium: Present onray and disc florets. Pistils: One. Pistil length: About 4 mm. Stigmashape: Long and narrow. Stigma color: Deep maroon. Style length: About 2mm. Style color: Deep maroon. Ovary color: Light greenish purple. Seed:Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Color: No match to R.H.S.Colour Chart, but deeper than 197A.

Disease resistance: The new Rudbeckia has exhibited good resistance topathogens common to Rudbeckia.

Garden performance: Plants of the new Rudbeckia have demonstrated goodgarden performance and very good resistance to drought conditions.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Rudbeckia plant named‘Pot of Gold’, as